Apprenticeship
by Kirin Faye
Summary: In book 6 of the Vampire Hunter D series, Tae is found to be with child--a dhampir child. Now, the child is grown and forging his way of the life on the frontier. The first person he seeks is a certain well-reknown Vampire Hunter.
1. Prologue

Apprenticeship

Prologue

Author's Comments: Ever since the middle of book 6 in the Vampire Hunter D series, the premise for this tale was in the back of my mind, just waiting for Kikuchi to make it happen. When the book ended and this tale still had not been told, but was given the red carpet of opportunity, I decided to tell it for him. It's been a while since I've written anything and even longer since I've written a fan-fiction, so I hope that, despite my lack of constant practice and the occasional long periods of waiting which will inevitably occur, you still find the story enjoyable. I've tried to incorporate a little of Kikuchi's style into the descriptions, but the rest is either me or the characters.

-.-.-.-

A dark silhouette rode into the small, dusty town upon a cyborg horse. The sun was just beginning to cast its long red fingers of light over the stone houses, the lazily rotating windmill, and the network of fences that marked off empty pastures. Several women were sleepily walking toward the single well in the middle of the town with clay pots balanced on their hips or shoulders. A thin tawny-haired dog raised its head to eye the traveller with curiosity, but quickly laid it down again with a yawn. The only things that seemed to be awake already were the millions of short yellow daisies that grew around every building like guarding sentries. Even the wind was too tired to blow yet.

The rider urged his mount forward toward the bleached white sign with bold black letters that read, "Suzu City Hall", seemingly oblivious to the awed stares that turned his way. When he reached the building, even before he had a chance to dismount, the front door flung open and an exuberant young man greeted him.

"I am so glad you could come on such short notice!" the man greeted. "Please, come in. Quickly!" The tall, hansom man looked jealously at the women who had stopped in their paths to the well and were now staring, not at himself like usual, but at his angelically beautiful guest.

The stranger dropped his horse's reigns in front of the hitching post, rather than bothering to tie them to the provided ring, knowing full well that his mount would still be there when he returned.

As soon as his guest had stepped under his roof, the man shut and locked the door. Waving a hand toward a set of red velvet, high-backed armchairs, he said, "Have a seat, D. I will call Arnel and we can start with business right away." He strode toward the door only to stop abruptly a moment later. "Dear me! Where are my manners? You've had a long travel, I'm sure. Perhaps you would prefer to rest and refresh first?"

"No, thank you," the dark traveller said in a voice like fine silk.

"A glass of water, perhaps?"

"I would prefer to get immediately to business."

The young man stared at his guest for an odd moment and then nodded his head once and continued to the door.

"Arnel," the man called across the hallway and into the next room. "The Hunter has arrived. He is anxious to begin." There was a muffled reply and the man returned to sit across from D.

A moment later, Arnel arrived, carrying all forty of his years on tired shoulders. He wore a dark burgundy robe, but beneath that, he was already dressed for the day ahead. He stood awkwardly before the two men, waiting.

"I thought you might tell our Hunter exactly what happened-everything that you know."

Arnel thought a moment, bowed his head, and began.

"I am Arnel Stover, Mr. Halflinger's secretary. Every morning before the sun rises, I get up and walk through the city to be sure that nothing is amiss after the night. We have no defence systems here, after all, for our coffers are small and our economy barely keeps us fed. Any beast, dragon, or mutant could come waltzing in whenever he wanted. There is little worry of that, though, because there is nothing here that any of them would want, save ourselves."

"Which is plenty enough to loose!" the hansom young man added hotly.

Arnel nodded his head gravely. "Plenty enough, indeed."

For a moment, neither man spoke. Then Arnel drew in another breath. "Two weeks ago, the day that we sent you the message, when I made my rounds, I saw a light in Miss Stensal's window. You or anyone else might not think anything of it, but it's a fact that our women stay up long into the night and do not arise until about this time. To see one awake before dawn instantly made me wonder what was going on. I didn't even bother finishing my round before I knocked on her front door. Her father, naturally, was awake and let me in. When we went to her room, however, we discovered that she was not even there. She had been in bed, but now she was gone. Immediately, I hurried here to tell Mr. Halflinger and we searched the town together, but there was no sign of the girl."

Arnel stopped suddenly, his face creased with concern.

"Where was the girl's father during the hunt?" D asked in a monotone.

"Oh, he came with us, naturally," Mr. Halflinger answered. "The poor man was wrought with worry, certain of the worst. Before long, I became certain, too."

The Hunter waited, silently.

The moment stretched out longer than necessary as both townsmen waited for their guest to ask the obvious question, which D was not inclined to ask. Finally, Mr. Halflinger stirred uncomfortably in his chair.

"Nilla returned."

Both men watched the Hunter carefully, waiting for his reaction to the announcement, but none came. D waited silently for the tale to continue.

Annoyed that his _coup de grace_ had no effect on the Hunter, Mr. Halflinger begrudgingly told the rest of his story. "She had escaped. She was, as best as we could tell, unharmed. There was a big ordeal, but at the end of the day, she was back in her father's house. That night, she was gone again."

"When did she return?" D asked, his voice as level as the desert horizon.

"That's the odd thing. She returned the day after she left, only to be kidnapped again. And she hasn't been back, since."

"For all we know," Arnel said quietly, "The Countess may have killed her this time."

Mr. Halflinger's dark scowl cut into the older man. Such thoughts were not to be entertained, the look said. Arnel bowed his head again.

"Did anyone check the girl for injuries?" D asked.

Mr. Halflinger stiffened, knowing exactly which kind of injuries most interested his guest, but he answered calmly. "Her mother did. There were none, save a few scrapes and bruises that she got while escaping. Nothing serious."

"Did Miss Stensal say who the Countess was?"

"No," Mr. Halflinger answered hesitantly, "but we know all the same. The Countess de Rodmira is our...well, we pay tribute to her in exchange for our safety against the other dangers. We do not have a defence system, but the Countess keeps everything at bay."

"What kind of tribute do you pay?" the Hunter asked.

"Livestock, grain, crops. We used to pay her money, but that has long since expired. Last month she took the last of our cattle, this month we would have had no goats, but I hope she...well, she might think Miss Nilla is our payment." Mr Halflinger crossed his arms in defiance. "I'd hate to give her our goats and I refuse to give up Nilla, but if she expects to get both, she can go to hell!"

"If your coffers are empty, how do you expect to pay me?" D's voice was very quiet, just barely loud enough to reach his audience.

"I—I have a small inheritance from when my father passed away," Mr. Halflinger answered. "My father kept it buried, hidden from the Countess in hopes that we could add to it and eventually afford a less costly means of protection. We have never added to it. All 200 dalas in gold are still there. I'm...afraid...that's all the entire village has."

"And where shall I stay while I hunt the Countess?"

"Well," Mr. Halflinger glanced furtively around the room, "Nilla's father might put you up, since you are helping to retrieve his daughter, or...I might be able to arrange something else."

"Don't bother."

With that, the darkly clad Hunter stood and showed himself to the door.

Once outside, D glanced at the buildings that lined both sides of the street. The path made a circle at the well so that the City Hall was the only building facing out towards the wild frontier, which stretched out flat as far as the eye could see. On his right, the terrain buckled and rippled in little hills, eventually rising so high that the tops split like over-baked bread. To his left, a sparse outcropping of trees formed a pleasantly shaded area that was perfect for walks and picnics. Behind the City Hall, the frontier continued to stretch on endlessly.

"What do you make of it?" a hoarse voice came from the vicinity of D's waist.

"It's not the exact truth," D responded, stepping forward to gather his horse's reigns.

"That's what I was thinking. After all, if the Countess is protecting the town, why bother with the nightly rounds?"

"It's more than that," D said simply.

The voice did not inquire further. They both had sensed the same thing.

-.-.-.-

To be continued….


	2. Jeison

Author's notes: For the record, I wish Kikuchi would write this story for me. I'm sure he could do much better. However, unless he plans on picking this theme up again in one of his later books, I seriously doubt anything will come of it. That being the case, I created Jeison, which means that this chapter was particularly difficult to write b/c it's where I fleshed out Jeison's personality. He is actually mentioned in book 6, but he has neither name nor personality, so the Jeison you see here is entirely mine. D, his left hand, and Tae all belong to Kikuchi. Everyone else (so far) is mine. Furthermore, there are many times in the books when D is being all silent that I can't help trying to imagine what's going on in his head. Usually, it includes a conversation with his symbiot. There are no indications in Kikuchi's series that these two characters share a telepathic link, but I figured that, since they share a body, why not their thoughts, too? Thus it is that I fill the silences with dialogue, here.

Apprenticeship

Chapter 1: Jeison

The wind was blowing finally as Vampire Hunter D rode away from the City Hall. The women were off the streets now, having been herded indoors by jealous husbands and fathers. The only moving things that remained were the emaciated hounds, two goats, the swaying daisies, and the dust that swirled in the breeze.

D's cloak blew back behind him, settling gently over his horse's tail before lifting once more. He travelled through the dusty streets unhindered, but watched from all sides. Once he reached the edge of the town, he stopped—a stark silhouette against the blazing sun and the hot glittering sands beyond.

"What is it?" a rough voice asked from the vicinity of the Hunter's waist.

"You don't sense it?"

"Oh, that."

D nudged his horse forward again, toward the Castle Rodmira. Away from the struggling pastures of Suva, all the greenery disappeared. Sand stretched for miles, gradually piling up on itself, making little dunes and eddies. Further on, the dunes became hills, which eventually grew to become mountains. In the middle of all that sand, hidden from the town by a low dune, stood another horse and rider. D slowly approached him until they were only a few paces apart. He paused a moment to observe the youth's fair features, his long brown cloak, embroidered tunic, and the long sword strapped to his waist. They were much alike, yet different in many ways. Most noticeably, the lad had an innocence in his expression which was completely lacking in D's cold, impassive eyes.

"Almost like looking in a mirror, many decades ago," the gravelly voice said.

The Hunter directed his horse forward.

"Excuse me," the boy called.

D stopped, but did not turn his head.

"Are you— I was told—" The boy sighed, his breath ragged with nervousness. Biting his lip, he furrowed his brows as he concentrated on his choice of words and tried again. "Do you know where I might find…the Vampire Hunter, D?"

The Hunter's eyes slid sideways.

::Right here, pretty little boy. Lookin' atchya!::

Gaining boldness, the boy pressed forward. "You look a lot like the descriptions my mo— that I've heard. Are you…him?"

"I am," D answered before the mental voice could inject another comment.

"Great! Well, then…um," the boy combed one gloved hand through his short black hair, "that's awesome. Do you mind if I travel with you for a while?"

"Why?"

The youth looked stunned as if he had not expected the question. "Well, because…I don't know. I don't really have anywhere else to go."

D looked forward toward the castle once more. When he replied, his tone was even and without inflection. "I won't stop you from following me, but what I do is not for children."

The lad bristled instantly. "I'm not a child! I'm sixteen!"

::And I'm old enough to be your great-great-great-great—::

—Shut up—

"I took care of everything around the house from the time I was ten. I think that means I've been an adult for six years now."

::You're not even done growing, little sprout!::

The Hunter's eyes narrowed imperceptibly and he nudged his horse forward once more. The lad scowled after D, feeling that he had somehow not made his point, but uncertain whether there was anything else to say. Then he kicked his horse and quickly caught up with his hero.

::You're not going to ask his name?::

—No. Why should I?—

::No reason. Only…he looks so much like you::

—There are a number of reasons that could be—

::Oh yah? Name three. No? Then ask him and find out. Sixteen is about the right age. Would it be too much to ask him his name?::

—Yes—

The voice was momentarily stymied, but it quickly recovered. ::Why don't you want to know?::

—Because it wouldn't answer the question—

::Ah, yes, the question. If he is who we're both thinking he is, and you _know_ you're thinking the same thing I am, then why is he here instead of taking care of his mother?::

"Where are we going?" the boy asked, his tone serious and respectful.

"To Castle Rodmira."

"Are you in the middle of a battle?"

D refrained from comment.

::Just ask him already!::

—What shall I say? 'My left hand wants to know what your name is, but I, personally, couldn't care less?'—

::Well, when you put it that way…::

For several minutes the trio rode in silence—D and his symbiot having reached an impasse and the boy afraid that he was becoming a nuisance or, worse, disturbing the great Hunter's concentration. Eventually, half shaded from the rising sun by a large overhang of carved granite, a majestic, gleaming castle of marble and ivory came into view. The castle was surrounded by a moat full of sparkling clear water and enormous rainbow piranhas. Lush grass and wildflowers of every colour and shape covered the ground. Colourful songbirds flitted among the branches of the tall leafy trees which shaded the castle from the western sun. D pulled up on the reigns and stepped down from his mount. Calmly, he walked toward the mote, knelt, and placed his left palm near the flowing water.

::Well, what do you know? There's something funny about it::

—What is it?—

::I can't quite tell, but I'd say it was something similar to an illusion, but not psychological::

—Is it tangible?—

::Oh yah::

—But not real—

::Not a chance. When this is all said and done, I bet there won't be any water here anymore. Until then, better safe than sorry::

—It's only fifty-five feet across—

D stood and returned to his horse. Not once had he spoken or communicated anything that the youth could understand. It appeared that he had ridden to the castle just to hover his hand over the water in the mote.

"There's no bridge, but the front entrance is there," the boy offered, pointing to the large set of golden doors, inlayed with rubies and sapphires. "If there was a bridge, that would be the best place to put it."

::He states the obvious::

—He's young, yet—

::Ah! So you do like him!::

—Like looking in a mirror, many decades ago—

D turned his horse and stared at the entrance. The boy followed his gaze, puzzling over this silent Hunter.

"D, am I annoying you?" he asked quietly. "I mean, I can be quiet if you want."

"That's not necessary," the Hunter answer. "But I would like to know your name."

The boy's countenance brightened immediately and a smile flashed across his face. "Jeison, or just Jei."

"And your mother's name?"

The joy that had blossomed on his face only a moment ago suddenly withered and died. In a soft voice, he answered, "Tae."

The mental voice was considerate enough to refrain from comment, though several witty replies were ready. Having lived with D for the past sixteen years, it knew the fondness he had for Tae. She, herself, meant little to him—no more than any of the other women he had rescued—but he frequently sent a portion of his earnings to her and asked after her health and, more importantly, the health of her child whenever he met someone who would know. The last he had heard, both were doing well, but that was several months ago.

Suddenly, D spurred his horse into a canter along the perimeter of the mote. Jei followed closely behind, adding to the flurries of dust that sparkled and glittered in the sun like flecks of gold. In a moment, D reined his horse to a sharp left and the two shot off the ground. In shock and amazement, Jei watched the horse and rider leap over the water and fly straight for the closed doors. He was not surprised that D had made the jump, but that he had done so while the doors were still locked securely. There was nowhere for them to land! Surely they must collide and fall into the hungry jaws of the voracious man-eating piranhas which were even now leaping into the air with teeth gleaming in the sun.

A flash of silver struck the doors exactly at the place where they met. Thunder echoed through the mountains as the doors swung open and rammed into the walls on either side, stirring up a cloud that hid the Hunter. When the dust cleared, D was gone.

"Well, confound it all," Jei muttered. Then he kicked his mount and followed suit, sailing over the water. Though only a boy, he could command a horse as well as the Hunter.

Inside the castle, the ceiling arched up three stories tall, but it seemed to be a regular height for the vastness of the room. The whole village of Suva could have fit inside. Jei halted his horse and looked around the entryway. Never had he seen such grandeur. Vast pillars of marble, inlaid with gold. Intricate carvings and glittering jewels on delicate chains. Silks and satins cascading from the ceiling. Clearly, this room was meant to awe and the young dhampir was duly impressed! He had seen things that belonged to the Nobles before, but never anything quite like this.

"So this is my heritage," he murmured, his eyes wide with wonder.

His horse began to move forward voluntarily and Jei directed it toward one of the pillars. Reaching out his hand, he stroked his fingers along the veins of gold. Warmth emanated from the metal strands and when Jei removed his hand, a dim light remained behind and then slowly faded. He touched it again, and again the light shown and faded. He pressed his whole hand to the pillar and warmth coursed into his veins. A powerful sensation travelled up his arm and tingled his spine, causing the boy to draw a deep breath and pull his hand away.

"What _is_ that?" he whispered. But he knew better than to play with things that he did not fully understand.

Looking around the room once more, he realised that he had no idea where D had gone and, even if he did, he couldn't hope to catch up with him. It was tempting to stay in the entryway and wait for his return, but immediately he discarded that plan. More than anything, he wanted to gain the Hunter's good favour. Standing around waiting wouldn't help.

From Jei's vantage point, only two doors were visible. Perhaps there were more hidden behind the curtains or cleverly disguised in the architecture, but Jei decided that he wasn't concerned with that. Directing his horse, he rode up to the second door and was mildly surprised when it opened for him.

"Welcome," a soft feminine voice pronounced.

Jei smirked.

The hallway was dark until he rode in a few feet. Then lights all along the walls slowly glowed on. An uneasy feeling came over the boy, which was heightened when his horse suddenly balked. There in front of them, indeed, all around them, were grotesque figures, only half visible. With furrowed brow, Jei pressed his horse forward. Perhaps if he didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother him.

Halfway down the long corridor, a dark miasma coalesced behind him. Jei turned just in time to see the ghosts gathered together into a red mass of fury and burling down upon him. A flash of lightning flew from the dhampir's waist. With a hideous screech, the mass flew apart, becoming individual pale entities. Even turned in his saddle the boy had somehow managed to draw his sword and strike. However, it wasn't enough to destroy his enemy.

Jei spurred his horse forward. In a moment, the ghosts had collected again and were speeding toward him. Suddenly, the horse spun around and jumped toward the angry red mass. Steel whistled in the air and lightning flashed twice. The screech that had started to emanate was cut in half and replaced with a gurgling bubble. Jei's horse landed five paces away. The air was clear now, for the boy's long sword had struck the mass and then a microsecond later, struck the collection of individual ghosts before they could separate, banishing them all, instantly.

Jei turned his horse again and continued silently down the hall, his brows set in determination. "This is why you don't go trespassing in a Noble's castle, Jeison," he muttered.

The corridor opened into another vast chamber. In the centre was D. "The Countess is not here," the Hunter stated.

Jei smiled. "Don't tell me you've been through the whole castle already."

"I haven't. I found the note she left us."

Jei crossed over and took the elegant stationary that D held out for him. It read:

Good evening, my dear Hunter. I hope that you are well, after your battle here in my home. I heard that you were in the area and presumed that it was only a matter of time before you came to call. Therefore, I have not dispatched my regular guard, but have, instead, withdrawn myself. You have a nasty reputation for killing off my brethren, after all. My only regret was that I could not call off my guard altogether in order to protect my home against the marauders that sometimes come against it. Thus, you have not received as warm a welcome as I might have hoped. Now that you have received my note, however, I trust that you will be less harsh with me on the morrow when I return. Indeed, I hope that you will join me for an evening tea where we may speak civilly about whatever may be troubling my people to the extent that they have sought out my termination.

—Countess Nicola de Rodmira

Ps. Next time, my dear Hunter, please do not kill all of my guard. They are not so easy to replenish here on the frontier as they are closer to the Capital.

Jei stared at the note, stunned. He read it twice through and then looked up at D. "She knew we were coming?"

"So it seems."

"Well, now what?"

D turned his horse around and began to ride back out the way he had come. "We return tomorrow."

Jei stared at the Hunter's back, still confounded. After a while, he heard a soft rhythmic sound—a light thump that grew in intensity. It was a heartbeat, but when he looked around, he saw nothing but the room.

"I officially do not like this place," he muttered and kicked his horse to catch up with D.

Halfway back to town, Jei's spirits had risen and he pushed his mount up closer to D's right. To the casual viewer, they looked like two angels of death riding in to massacre the sleepy little town. Their horses stepped in sync and even the wind blew their capes in parallel ripples.

The boy stared straight ahead as he asked, "What was the Noble's crime?"

"She kidnapped a local girl," D answered in a rare moment of openness.

"Are you sure, or is that just the rumour?"

D turned and looked at the boy. His expression, flawless in its beauty, made Jei grimace.

"Sorry," the boy mumbled. "It's just…never mind. Mind if I ask the girl's name?" he ventured.

"Nilla."

"What happened?"

There was a long pause. Jei thought his question would go unanswered and redirected his attention to the path that D's horse had left in the sand on the way out to the castle. The sand sparkled like a million diamonds in the sun. The wind blew softly around them and played with his hair. The town was growing in size before them and Jei could pick out a few people here and there as they crossed the street.

"She was taken in the night before she went to bed," D finally answered. "She escaped, but the following night, she was abducted again."

Jei looked up at the Hunter and gave a short humourless chuckle. "Everyone always did say you were the quiet type. Guess I'll have to get used to that." His eyes dropped sombrely to the path.

"How long has it been?"

Jeison looked back up, curiously. An uneasy tension trickled up and down his spine like a stream of ice. "Since…?"

"Since Tae died."

A breathless "oh" escaped the boy's lips and his eyes immediately returned to the road. "About two months, I guess. I came looking for you, right after."

"I'm not your guardian," D responded. Though his words were cold, his tone was soft.

"I know, but, like I said, I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Just don't get in my way."

The two rode on in silence then and not even D's left hand found anything to say. When they were closer to the edge of the town, Jei grew restless and pulled a little to the side.

"If you're going into town, I'll just wait for you here," he said.

D mutely continued forward. At the edge of the town, he halted his horse.

"Which house is it?" he asked, though no one was standing near.

"You better be glad I bothered to notice, or else you'd have to go back and ask that Mr. Halflinger!" the rough voice chided. "Third house on the right from the City Hall."

—It's not even the closest to the castle. Why did the Countess chose this girl?—

::Maybe she has a thing for blondes:: the voice quipped.

Mentally, D pursed his lips. Physically, he directed his horse to the specified house, a small two-story cottage with a curving stone walk adorned on both sides by the local daisies. D dismounted and rapped on the door. In a moment, a middle-aged woman stood before him.

"Oh…my!" she exclaimed, her hand resting on her flushed cheek.

"What is it, Heisa?" a man's voice called.

"Something…exquisite!" the woman answered. "Come in! _Do_ come in!"

D followed the woman into the sitting area, where the man rested with his leg in a cast.

"You must be that fool Hunter old Filans Halflinger has got," the man groused, though his eyes travelled up and down D, appreciatively. "Name's Ed."

"Is there anything I can get you, dear?" Heisa asked, never once taking her eyes off of D.

"I'm fine," Ed answered.

"And you?"

"Yes," D replied. "Do you have a picture of your daughter?"

Heisa stood transfixed, unmoving. After a moment, Ed squirmed. "Heisa," he said. "The painting?"

"Yes, of course," the woman mumbled and backed out of the room, watching their beautiful visitor until she could no longer see him.

Ed turned to D, who still stood in the entryway to the room, and appraised him once more.

"How did you hurt your leg?" the Hunter asked.

"Stepped in a hole in the dark, last week. Mighty nasty snap it was, too. 'Bout sheer broke through the skin."

"When did you first know your daughter was missing?"

"The first or second time?"

"Both."

Ed thought a moment and then smiled. "First time was when Filans told me. Second, it was his secretary, Arnel."

"Approximately what time?"

"Oh, I don't know. Morning. Before the ladies are up."

Heisa returned and set a large painting of a black-haired girl on a chair. The painting was rough, but one could still see that she must have been very lovely. Her lips were full and parted slightly. Her eyes were deep and soulful. The low neckline of her dress was trimmed in pink lace and lay gently across her full bosom. She was a woman that any man would die for.

"Thank you," D said and turned to go.

Hardly had the door shut when the hoarse voice began to chuckle. "That lady was something else. 'Oh, my! You're something…exquisite!'" it mimicked. "'Do come in, dear, you pretty, pretty little thing, you.'"

The Hunter glared at the strange little face embossed upon the palm of his left hand.

"Oh come on! You love it. You know you love it," the face jeered.

"You were wrong about Countess de Rodmira," D stated. He climbed onto his horse and headed out of town again. As he left, the men behind him stepped out of their houses and gathered in the street as if to fill in the space he had ripped through their town.

"Yah, okay. So the girl has black hair, not blonde," his left hand conceded and then remained silent.

Once D was a little ways from the town, Jei rode up beside him again. "Did you find out anything?" the boy asked.

"Yes."

Jei looked over quizzically. "Well?"

D continued to look straight ahead. "If you want to know, you should come with me into town."

"I can't, D," Jei said, looking down at his hands, wrapped like bands of steel around the leather thongs. "You know that people hate dhampirs. I'm not like you. I can't just walk into a town like that."

"You can't, or you don't want to?"

Jeison frowned and held his horse back a step or two until he was no longer flush with the Hunter's side. Tae had spoken the praises of this Hunter all his life and, while she had mixed ideas about whether he was cold and silent or warm and compassionate, Jei had never imagined him to be quite so imposing. Though a dhampir of the same aristocratic line as the Hunter, even Jei found him to be intimidating, like a dark wall of clouds swirling on the horizon.

::I don't know about this kid brother of yours,:: the raspy voice commented to the Hunter. ::I mean, yah, I liked him at first. Who wouldn't? He's got the same dashing good looks and he's relatively quiet. But he's as green as they come. Alright, alright, so you weren't born knowing everything either and I still have to bail you out more often than I should, but this kid…I don't know. I just don't want to have to be responsible for the both of you::

—Don't worry about him. He'll either learn or he won't. Either way, it doesn't matter to me—

::You'd say that about your own brother? You are a cold one!::

To be continued….


	3. Countess de Rodmira

Author's notes: I've changed the order of events in Chapter 1. They were bugging me. (This is the hazard of writing w/o an outline….) It doesn't change the plot at all, so it's not like you have to go back and reread it, but if you come back to it and things aren't quite like you remember…that's why.

Apprenticeship

Chapter 2: Countess de Rodmira

In an alcove above her castle, the Countess de Rodmira rested in her coffin. All around her castle, little electronic eyes watched the comings and goings within and reported directly to an enormous LCD screen tucked into walls of her coffin. There, she watched the Hunter enter her castle, followed by a young man she had never seen before. She frowned darkly and lines of disquietude formed on her brow. Since when had the Hunter begun traveling with a companion? Last she had heard, he was alone and unengaged in any job. She was sure he had come to this region because of a call from the townsfolk, but the lad that was with him was no one that she had ever seen before.

She waited a few minutes, listening to the screams of her defeated sentries, and then, a moment later, the two emerged. Her note had bought her some time, it seemed. Hopefully, it would buy her some civility as well.

-.-.-.-

For a long moment, D looked out over the expanse of wilderness beyond the town. Jei sat on his horse to his left and mutely looked out as well, but he didn't know what the Hunter was looking for. The townsmen had gathered at the edge of the village, also wondering why the Hunter remained perfectly still. Even the wind refused to lift his cloak or play with his hair. He was a statue.

After what seemed an hour, but was really just a few minutes, a gravely voice said quietly, "I've got nothing. The closest essence is back at the castle."

Though the voice was soft and meant only for D, Jei's sharp dhampir ears picked it up easily. He turned a quizzical eye toward his hero. Perhaps the Hunter possessed some sort of computer equipment with an automated voice?

Abruptly, D turned his horse, navigating around Jei rather than asking him to move, and rode his horse into the sparse woodlands to the left of the village. For a little over an hour, he combed the twenty square miles, placing his left hand on various trees from time to time or riding out of the woods a ways before returning again, but whatever he was seeking, he didn't seem to find. Finally, he dismounted near a small brook and, producing a small flask, began filling it with water.

Jei, who had silently followed his every step, watched from atop his horse. With a frustrated frown, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "D," he began softly, "what in the world are we doing out here?"

Surprisingly, D stood up and turned to face the boy. Replacing the cap on the flask, he answered, "I was looking for any sign of Nilla or the Countess. Now I am preparing for battle."

Little did Jei realise how unusual and gracious such an explanation was.

"Don't you think maybe they're somewhere in the castle?" the boy asked.

"Yes."

"Then…why have we spent so much time looking out here instead of," Jei gestured gracefully toward the rolling hills and distant mountains, "the castle?"

The Hunter looked through the trees at the miles of sand that now cast long shadows in the low sun. In a tone devoid of inflection, resembling boredom, actually, he answered, "Countess Rodmira requested that we come back later. So, we are. In the meantime, I have ascertained that she has never been in this section of the frontier." Then, looking up at Jei, he continued in a slightly livelier tone that somehow managed to chill the air around them. "However, Nilla comes here frequently. Yet, she has not been here recently."

Jei nodded rotely, but the vertical motion became horizontal when the Hunter's logic failed to reveal itself.

"It means that they are either in or near the castle," D volunteered crisply.

"But we knew that already, didn't we?"

"Did we?" D turned and mounted his horse again. Grasping the reins he started toward the castle.

"I thought—"

"It will be dark soon. We should get going." With a backward glance, he added kindly, "Never assume. Especially on the Frontier."

At that moment, a cold finger slid down the boy's spine as he realised something crucial. Staring at the back of the Hunter who was calmly riding away to do battle with a vampire at night, Jei realised that he had very little idea what he was doing or why he was even there. It was an unpleasant feeling that threatened to freeze his blood. He was confident in his ability to defend himself, but he was suddenly aware that he neither understood this Vampire Hunter, nor the world around him in general.

"What have you gotten yourself into now, Jeison?" he muttered. But, with a shake of his head, he cast the thought aside and quickly caught up with D.

-.-.-.-

As soon as the sun had dipped below the horizon, bathing the land in a thick darkness, the Countess de Rodmira emerged from her coffin to gaze out over the land that she ruled. There were the hills and the woodland and the tiny village in between with its glowing daisies that refused to acknowledge the passing of time. There was the wilderness on either side that glistened like silver sandpaper and there was the Hunter and the boy flying across the sand toward her castle. They were like falcons, an eagle and a hawk, come to snatch the innocent hare.

"They are coming early," the Countess groused to no one in particular. "I specifically requested that they return on the morrow. The sun has barely even dipped below the horizon and, yet, here they come."

With lithe, nimble steps, she crept back down to her castle with plans and agendas running through her head. Entering the side door from which she had escaped, she suddenly stopped. Something was wrong. No, not wrong—just different. Changed.

She smiled ferally.

Walking across the room, she placed her hand on the pillar that Jei had touched. "Ah, is that it?" she smirked. "I see. Well, in that case, I suppose I'll let you keep him. But only if he plays nice! I won't have a murderous puppy running about the house."

-.-.-.-

When D and Jei came to the castle, they found that a drawbridge had been lowered. Glancing into the water, the piranhas seemed to be absent. Once inside, a lovely ethereal voice greeted them.

"Welcome to Castle de Rodmira, Vampire Hunter D." No one was visible to whom the voice might belong. "The Countess awaits you in the parlour. She has sent a guide and requests that you leave your mounts here and proceed on foot like civil guests."

The rooms were so vast and their entry the day before had been so unusual that Jei had not realised until now that they had, indeed, brought their animals right into this lady's house. Chagrined, he immediately dismounted and was relieved to see that D had done the same.

From the ceiling, a glowing tetrahexahedron, about the size of D's fist, floated down and hovered in front of them. As it came down, D had tucked his blue pendant beneath the folds of his scarf. The golden light blinked twice and the guide floated smoothly forward. As it took a path near the pillars, Jeison heard a gentle feminine voice call his name.

"Jeison."

He felt a powerful urge to touch the warm pillar again, but resisted it, focusing instead on following the path that D took. The Hunter seemed to be unaware of the siren call as he walked behind the glowing orb.

"Jeison," the voice called again.

The boy clenched his fist and continued walking. How he hated this castle!

At the very last pillar, a paraffin face with brilliant green eyes emerged from the marble. The luscious red lips opened and a soft sound escaped then. Only upon reflect ion did Jei realise that it had been a sigh. Within himself, he vowed that when all this was said and done, he would destroy those pillars with whatever means necessary.

Presently, the floating guide stopped. Before them was a wall, ornately carved with the scenes of battle. Great machines rose on the horizon, men struggled with each other, fierce and beautiful Nobles commanded troops—all set in stone. A circular portion of the wall moved forward silently and then rolled to one side. The tetrahexahedron blink once and a white line trace a path along the floor and up a curved flight of stairs. D stepped forward.

A cool dampness greeted them as was befitting a cave. As soon as Jei stepped inside, the circular door clicked shut behind them, leaving their guide behind. They were left in absolute darkness, save the line of light that marked their path. Jei followed D, his hand at the ready near his sword.

For at least an hour, they traveled without seeing the end of the path. They may have never realised they were moving forward had not the path taken turns or dips or rises. Those changes alone marked the passage through the long corridor. And then, suddenly, the lighted path stopped. D pulled the pendant out from his scarf and the space was suddenly awash with blue light. It was a vast space with hundreds of paths weaving around them. But only the one on which they walked shown white.

D rapped lightly on the wooden panel before him and the door immediately opened into a brightly lit parlour. Across the room, seated on a plush lavender divan, was one who could only be the Countess Nicola de Rodmira. She wore her hair piled high on her head, accented with a petite tiara, and a pink chiffon dress, that pooled on the floor. To her left, just over her shoulder was the glittering, blinking tetrahexahedron that had served as a guide.

"Ah, D," she greeted, rising with a fluid grace the moment the door opened. "How nice to finally meet you. And who is your young guest?"

D said nothing as he crossed the fluffy blue carpet.

"I am Jeison," the boy answered, following D and feeling rather out of place in such a girlish setting.

"Jeison?" the Countess echoed. "You must be another dhampir. Your beauty matches that of our wonderful Hunter. How exquisite to entertain two such fine young men in one night."

"Where is the girl?" D asked.

The Countess turned to the Hunter in mock surprise. "But we have not even had tea, yet. Please, do sit down."

To Jeison's surprise, the Hunter complied, resting his sword against the cushion at his right. Jeison assumed that he should sit as well, so he chose the seat across from D so that one of them was on either side of where the Countess sat. A dainty white hand picked up a silver bell and gave it a gentle ring. Within seconds, a lovely young woman with long black hair arrived with a matching silver tray, laden with a mint green tea set.

D looked straight at Nilla, then at the Countess.

"As you can see, the girl is perfectly unharmed," the Countess proclaimed proudly. "Oh, I know you, Hunter," she said, her tone becoming playfully accusatory. "I know _exactly_ what you were thinking. But I have done nothing wrong. I am innocent of all charges."

Nilla set down the tray as her mistress indicated and began to fill the cups.

"The charge is that you kidnapped the girl," D stated.

"I did no such thing!" the Countess rebutted hotly. "The girl was given to me as payment. It was a legal transaction, covered by the contract that I hold with the townsmen to guard their village. Do you mean to tell me that they have hired you to steal back their payment?"

Rather than answer, D turned to the young woman. "Do you want me to help you escape?"

Nervously, Nilla glanced at her mistress. She nodded her head.

"Then it doesn't matter what the townsmen may or may not be doing."

Countess de Rodmira rose in an instant. "Vampire Hunter D," she rebuked. "Do you think I care at all for their offerings of grain and livestock? Nay, I do not! But I have guarded their homes for years all the same. Now that I finally have an offering which I desire, you come to steal it away from me? How very human of you! Your reputation is not exaggerated in the least! You are not but a filthy ghoul! Be gone from my home!"

Jeison and D rose at the same time as the Countess made a motion with her arm. In an instant, a golden rod appeared in her hand. At the top of it was an enormous yellow topaz in the shape of a spear head. When she pointed it at D, a beam of lightning issued forth and struck him full in the chest. At such close range, the impact should have thrown him completely from the room, but somehow he had unsheathed his sword in time and now held it before him, splitting the electric bolt in two.

The Countess stared at D, surprised at his skill, yet infuriated that he was still in the room. With an outraged cry, she released a second bolt with five times the electric force. D's blade, already in front of him, turned red from the heat. The shaft struck the elegantly curved steel and rebounded straight toward Jeison.

To be continued….


End file.
